Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “brim” come from?

brim (Middle English) comes from Old English brim, from Proto-Germanic brimą, from Proto-Germanic bremaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰrem-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- — to bear, carry.

brim (Middle English): sea, ocean, surf, shore

Definitions

  1. sea, ocean, surf, shore

Ancestry of “brim”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbrimthe edge of the sea or a body of water; surf; the...
2Proto-Germanicbrimąsurf, the sea
3Proto-Germanicbremanąto roar
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrem-to make noise
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰer-to bear, carry

Words derived from “brim”

  • brim
  • brimful
  • brimless
  • brimmer
  • abrim
  • broadbrim
  • overbrim
  • brimfulness
  • brimmeth
  • underbrim
  • brimme
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- →